Realized that I never got around to posting this on here!
James arrived home that night just before super time. He eased his Mercedes into the driveway and reached for his bag in the passenger seat before climbing out of the car and pressing a button on the key ring, locking the car.
Going around the front of the car he smiled as he caught eye of the warm bright light coming from the kitchen window and hurried inside, anxious to see his family after the week-long business trip.
"I'm home!" He announced, as he opened the front door. James heard the light commotion from the kitchen before the loud scampering of feet made it's way in his direction.
"Daddy!" His six year-old son shouted excitedly, coming around the corner and jumping into his Father's arms once he was as at safe enough distance.
"Hey Nicky!" James hoisted the small child into his arms, resting him on his hip after settling his bag down off to the side. "Where's your Papa?" His son pointed back in the direction of the kitchen and James quickly took off in it's direction.
"Carlitos!" James called entering into the dining area, "where are you Love?" Nicky still in his arms James entered into the kitchen area, finding his shorter husband standing at the counter, eyes fixated on the small cluster of papers in front of him.
"Carlos?" James repeated, setting Nicky on the ground and walking over to his husband, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Babe are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
Carlos suddenly drew back his gaze from the papers, gasping if he were coming up for air. James, startled, drew back his hand but quickly took hold on the short Latino's arms and spun him around to face him.
"Love, is everything okay?" He attempted to keep his voice steady as panic swelled in his chest; he'd never seen his husband act this way.
The shorter man blinked, completely placid in the man's hold, "James," he began, "we have a serious problem."
The panic that churned heavily in James' stomach instantly shot up into his throat, "w-what?" he managed out past his lips.
Carlos moved from under James' grip and swiftly made his way over to the kitchen table, grabbing Nicky's school bag hanging from on of the chairs.
"It-It's Nicky," Carlos gulped loudly, "he uh...got a quiz back today." James glanced over at the stack of papers his husband had been so engrossed in a few moments earlier, quickly putting the pieces together.
"Is...this the quiz over here?" He asked, already having made his way over to scan the papers. Carlos nodded behind him, despite knowing his husband was no longer looking at him.
"Yeah...just, I...I don't know what to think." James silently read over the paper filled with small red pen marks indicating responses and results. He flipped the page and was met with more red ink filled markers.
"They..." he started but abruptly halted his words and his eyes bugged out, "he's only six!"
Approaching from behind Carlos nodded again, "that's not it either, his teacher called today and wanted to discuss his progress with me." He bit his lower lip as his husband spun around to face him, panic etched across his features.
"What did she say?"
"She thinks he should change classes." His husband gasped loudly in response, eyes darting down to their son who'd wandered off to the side to play with his toys, then back to Carlos.
"But he's only six!" he repeated fretting terribly over the thought of putting his son in those type of classes.
Carlos watched his husband helplessly for a moment, before turning back to the quiz still resting on the kitchen counter, his face slowly contorting into a look of angry determination.
"You know who we have to talk to, right?" He met gazes with his husband, who nodded silently before marching out of the kitchen.
"James uh..." Carlos began still watching the empty space where his husband had vacated, "there's a phone right here..."
James, however, did not respond, but soon came back into the room, his cellphone pressed firmly to his ear.
After a moment, Carlos could hear a faint hello, before his husband let loose.
"You have some real nerve Logan Knight!" James belted furiously, beginning a frantic pace up and down the kitchen area. "My son does not need to get involved in your mathy-sciency life!"
"...No! What did you teach my son all those times you and Kendall babysat, huh?!"
"...What do you mean he has a interest in it? He's a Diamond, he's a born superstar!"
"...That doesn't matter Logan, the problem is, Carlos and I don't know how to raise a brainiac!"
"Papa?" Carlos broke from his stupor of watching his husband rant over the phone to look down at his son, who watched him with worry.
"Yeah buddy?" He reached down to pick up the young boy, resting him on his hip. Nicky watched as his Daddy paced the room before turning back to his Papa, concerned.
"What's wrong with Daddy?"
Carlos sighed, "nothing buddy, but hey", he brought his son up to eye level, "did Uncle Logan teach you anything about math and science?" Nicky immediately shook his head.
"I like math Papa, and science."
At his confession, Carlos could not respond, simply eyeing his son blankly before setting him back on the ground.
"...Stay out of this Kendall!" He heard James shout over the speaker, assuming their blond friend had also got involved. Carlos had to fix this fast.
"You stop shouting at my husband Diamond, or we will have a real fucking problem." He heard the blond threaten over the speaker, confirming his suspicion in Kendall's involvement, which did not surprise him much considering how protective Kendall could be of his husband.
Carlos walker over to his husband, pulling the phone from the tall brunet's ear.
"It's okay guys, never mind James, he's just tired from his trip." He then shut the phone, without waiting a for response from the other line.
"What are you doing Carlos!" His husband exclaimed but Carlos only rolled his eyes and rested back against the counter.
"Nicky likes math, and science, he told me so."He explained, watching as his husband visage changed from an flushed and angry red to a pale face of horror.
"He likes that stuff?"
"Yeah," Carlos nodded, "right Nicky?" he glanced over at his son who'd returned to his toys after assessing his Daddy was just crazy and not dying or anything serious. He turned and nodded silently to his parents in response.
"See?" Carlos continued, looking back over at his husband, who still looked horrified.
"This is even worse!" James started, throwing his arms up in the air in defeat, "now we have to associate with those learning things," he shivered.
Slumping over in defeat, he wandered over to his husband, lending his hand out for his phone. "Phone please Love, where going to need Logan's help for this."
But Carlos would not budge, "stop being so over dramatic James," he put the phone down behind him, "besides, you call Logan you'll get an earful, and if you go over there now, Kendall may just clock you in the face."
James pouted.
"And you need your face."
James' pout turned into a frown,"rude!"
Carlos smiled, "how about instead, we embrace our genius son, and if things get too difficult for us, we then call in Logan?"
James sighed, "yeah that works," he turned to his son, "hey Nicky, want to go to the uh...uh...museum?" The last few words took a painful effort to slip past his lips.
Nicky smiled up at his father, "okay Daddy."
And if James didn't love his son so much, he's sure he'd start crying now; watching as the young boy skipped happily to go put on his outdoor wear, speaking animatedly with his Papa as he helped him.
"Yay..."
Oh Jarlos...maybe I'll write some more in the future.